Leather belt.



E. BLOSSFELD."

LEATHER BELT.

APPLICATION man JAN. 29. 19m

Patented Apr. 16, 1918,

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EMIL BLOSSFELD, or SAN rnniiorsco, onniro anra.

LEATHER BELT.

Application filed January 29. 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL BLOSSFELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Leather Belts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to double or multiply leather elt and the method of manufacturing the same.

One of the objects of the present invention is to construct a multi-ply leather belt which is designed to run with the flesh side of the leather against the pulley to bend against the flesh side at all times and, furthermore, to place the several layers in such a position that the hair or smooth side of one layer will engage the flesh side of the other layer. Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- 1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a leather belt such as contemplated by my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a leather belt constructed according to the rules of common practice.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a section of leather belting.

Where leather belting is employed to transmit power from one pulley or shaft to another it has always been common practice to run the smooth or grain side of the belt against the pulley and the flesh side out; the theory or reason for such practice being, first, that a smooth and highly polished pulley and highly finished belt surface reduces the amount of power lost by friction during transmission, and, second, it has always been thought that as the grain, smooth or hair side of the belt is harder than the flesh side of the belt that more wear and consequently a greater life of the belt is obtained. Both of these theories have proven absolutely erroneous, both by theory and practice.

By referring to Fig. 8, a section of a piece of leather belting is shown. 2 indicates the hair or grain side of the belt and 3 the flesh side of the belt. By'referring to the section, it will be seen by the stippling placed thereon that the grain of the belt is very much finer, denser and closer on the hair side of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Serial No. 145,099.

the belt, indicated at 2, than on the flesh side; that is, the grain of the leather is very fine and dense toward the surface but becomes comparatively coarse and porous toward the flesh side. If the leather is bent toward the flesh side, as shown by the curved lines indicated at 4, it is found that it is very pliable and that the spongy or porous structure of the leather on the flesh side permits suflicient compression to prevent any extent of resistance when the belt is bent in said direction. If the belt is bent toward the'grain or smooth side, as shown by the curved lines at 5,'it is immediately observed that considerable resistance is encountered and also that the inner face of the belt'becomes wrinkled, as shown at 6.

The reason that the wrinkles are formed can easily be explained. As previously stated, the grain of the leather is very much finer and denser on the'smooth or hair side of the belt and it, therefore, happens that when the belt is bent against the smooth side, as represented by the curved lines 5, comparatively little compression of the grains of the leather takes place. The wrinkles 6 are, therefore, formed as the leather on this side is not sufficiently porous to permitpcompression. Now if the belt is run with the hair or smooth side against the pulley or bent over same, wrinkling takes place and the pulley consequently engages only with the high spots or wrinkles 6, thus causing same to wear away rapidly and destroying that part of the leather which contains the maximum strength. The leather in this manner becomes rapidly worn and cracked and as the pores are opened by the wearing away, as described, moisture and foreign matter are rapidly absorbed which produces a quick deterioration and decomposition of the leather.

I have found that running a belt with the flesh side against the pulley, as shown by the curved lines 4:, positively prevents wrinkling of the inner surface of the belt, as the comparatively spongy and coarse grain in the leather permits sufficient compression to prevent wrinkling.

It has also been found that less power is absorbed in bending the belt as it is much more pliable when bent in this direction; and it has also been found that a better grip is formed between the pulley and belt whenthe rough or flesh side of the belt is presented. Friction and-slippage are to this extent more or less prevented and the wear of same proportionately reduced. The unnecessary wear produced by wrinkling the inner surface of the belt, when the reverse side is used, is also prevented and the life and durability are consequently consider ably increased.

The present invention relates more particularly to the construction of double-ply belts, such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Heretofore it has been common practice to place the flesh sides 7 and 8 of the two layers 9 and 10 together for the purpose of permitting both sides of the belt to be used. A belt constructed in this manner will necessarily present the smooth side to the face of the pulley and will, therefore, bend in the wrong direction, while the exterior layer will bend in the right direction. A double belt constructed and employed in this manner will rapidly show wear and cracking of the inner layer, while the outer layer remains perfectly sound. The weakening of the inner layer of the belt, however, throws so much strain on the exterior layer that this will stretch and weaken proportionally.

The belt I construct is adapted to run with the flesh side 11 against the pulley. The second layer, indicated at 12, covering the first layer is also placed with its flesh side 13 against the smooth or hair side 14 of the lower layer. Both belts will bend in the right direction while passing over a pulley and will not only afford a better grip on the pulley but will also have a much greater life and strength than when they are constructed, as shown in Fig. 2.

The belt shown in Fig. 1 is designed to run with the flesh side 11 against the pulley and while it is here shown as constructed of two layers, it is obvious that as many layers as may be desired may be employed as long Copies of this patent maybe obtained for as the correct relation is maintained; that is, the flesh sides of all layers should be presented toward the pulley, while the smooth or hair sides should be presented outwardly. The several plies will always bend in the right direction, when passing over a pulley, and wrinkling and unnecessary wear produced by bending in the opposite direction are positively prevented.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A leather belt formed of whole leather sections and composed of aninner layer and an outer layer secured in superimposed relation thereto and each having its natural flesh side and natural hair side, with the hair side of the inner layer in contact with the flesh side of the outer layer to thereby cause each layer to bend in the same direction and against the flesh side when passing over a pulley and to expose one hair side and one flesh side with the latter engaging the pulley face.

2. A leather belt formed of whole leather sections and composed of superimposed lay ers each having its natural flesh side and natural hair side, said layers secured so as to have their hair sides face in one and the same direction and to each have their flesh sides face in the opposite direction to thereby expose one of the flesh sides for presen tation against the face of a pulley and the hair sides outwardly away from the pulley.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL BLOSSFELD.

Witnesses W. W. HEALEY, M. E. EWING.

five cents each h addressin the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

